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Children international®
  Youth RepoRt CaRd




 2011
pRogRess oveR poveRtY
table of Contents
 3   Forward - A Letter from Jim Cook

 5   Challenges for Today’s Youth

 6   Focused. Centered. Ready to Serve.

 8   Better Prospects, Thanks to Better Health

10   Empowered by Education

12   Leveraging the Power of Leadership

14   A Hands-on Approach with Signature Programs

18   Partnerships that Foster Potential

20   Summing up Our Graduate Survey

21   Final Outcomes and Future Opportunities




                                          www.children.org
Rich with Potential
             There is something extremely exciting about seeing a young person
         begin to realize his or her potential. It’s that pivotal point when the
         possibilities of a brighter future dawn on the individual – and it’s
         wonderful to behold!
             That’s the feeling I had as I reviewed the results in this Youth Report
         Card. Children International youth have been leading up to a point
         where they possess the skills, traits and confidence to pursue a life
         unburdened by poverty.
             Ninety percent of the world’s youth live in developing countries,
         and those youth are more vulnerable to unemployment and poverty,
         according to the Interational Labour Organization. Impoverished youth
         too often lack the education or experience to obtain and keep a job,
         thereby compounding the cycle of poverty in their countries.
             Our youth need all the preparation and training our programs
         provide in order to compete in the current job market, and I take
         tremendous pride in the fact that we offer them opportunities for
         personal enrichment, educational support, job-skills training and
         building exemplary leadership abilities.
             It’s my dream that each and every one of the youth we support
         will live a rich, fulfilling life. And that dream is shared by Children
         International’s generous contributors, who make it possible for these
         youth to strive for a better way of life – one that can surely become
         a reality.
             Thank you for taking an interest in these young men and women.
         With your guidance and support, they can certainly gain the skills and
         confidence to believe in themselves and break their way out of poverty.
             Our youth are rich with potential, and I believe the results of the
         Youth Report Card confirm that. I hope you find the outcomes within
         as encouraging as I do!
                                                             Sincerely,



                                                         Jim Cook
                                                         President




www.children.org                                                                       Page 3
Page 4   www.children.org
Challenges for Today’s Youth
             There are 1.2 billion adolescents            •	 One-third	of	all	new	HIV	cases	
             between the ages of 10 and 19 in the            worldwide involve youth aged
             world today. Of those, 9 out of 10 live in   	 15	to	24.
             the developing world.
                                                          •	 One	in	every	three	girls	in	the	
             A closer look reveals that the               	 developing	world	gets	married	
             overwhelming majority of young people        	 before	the	age	of	18.	
             are growing up in communities that
             fail to provide many essential services,     “Adopting a life-cycle approach to child
Challenges

             let alone opportunities for security and     development, with greater attention given
             success. Too many youth are being            to care, empowerment and protection
             deprived of quality education, adequate      of adolescents…is the soundest way to
             health care and safe, constructive           break the intergenerational transmission
             environments in which they can thrive        of poverty,” UNICEF recommends.
             and excel.
                                                          Children International’s Youth Program
             Growing up in unstable communities           is designed to do precisely that. It builds
             with few prospects for the future, youth     on the personal progress young men
             are more susceptible to substance            and women have achieved as a result
             abuse, gang participation, absenteeism       of medical, educational and material
             from school, and early pregnancy and         support and equips them with the
             marriage. What hope does that spell for      additional life skills they need to rise
             the future of our world?                     above poverty and make successful
                                                          transitions into adulthood.
             The challenges today’s youth face have
             been further compounded by economic          As the global population of impoverished
             strains on the global economy, making it     youth continues to grow and encounters
             increasingly difficult for young men and     unforeseen challenges, increased support
             women in developing countries to break       of Children International’s Youth Program
             free from dire poverty. Judging by key       will ensure that both current and future
             indicators in UNICEF’s 2011 State of the     generations can avail of life-changing
             World’s Children report, the odds don’t      opportunities no matter how dire their
             look promising:                              circumstances. Because youth who are
                                                          capable, confident and productive not
             •	 Half	of	all	young	people	in	the           only strengthen their communities, they
                world do not attend secondary             enrich the world as well.
             	 school	at	the	appropriate	age.

             •	 A	quarter	of	the	world’s	working	
             	 poor	is	aged	15	to	24.	Meanwhile,	
                81 million older youth who are
                eligible and willing to work remain
             	 unemployed.




                                                                                              Page 5
Children International Youth:
             Focused. Centered. Ready to Serve.
   At the end of 2010, a total of 149,231	youth	ages	12	to	19	were	receiving	support	
   from	Children	International. Those young men and women represent 11 countries,
   including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras,
   India, Mexico, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States. We believe each youth
   has a valuable role to play in society.

   As soon as boys and girls reach the age of 12, they are invited to join our Youth Program
   and begin acquiring essential life skills. The program is designed to enhance their
   self-awareness, social and leadership skills, project-management abilities, community
   involvement and more. The programs they can take advantage of are wide-ranging:

    Youth Health Corps
    Utilizes peer-to-peer health training to educate youth and members of their
    community about preventable diseases, sexual and reproductive health, substance
    abuse and early pregnancies. (See p. 9)

    The HOPE Scholarship Fund
    Awards scholarships to qualified youth who need help covering costs for secondary
    school, vocational training or higher education. (See p.11)

    Youth Leadership Training
    Offers hands-on training to help youth develop skills such as interpersonal
    communication, decision making, conflict resolution, critical thinking, problem
    solving and civic participation. (See p. 12)

    Youth Councils and the Youth Empowerment Fund
    Gives youth a chance to democratically elect their own representatives to better
    address issues that affect them and grants them the authority to use resources in ways
    that directly improve their lives and communities. (See p. 12)

    Game On! and Into Employment
    Game On! Youth Sports™ fosters better health and team-building and conflict-
    resolution skills through organized sports leagues; while Into Employment equips
    youth with networking and job skills in areas such as information technology,
    hospitality services and more. (See pp. 14-16)

   Each year, as our youth participants near graduation, we ask them to fill out a survey to
   measure the effectiveness of our programs as well as the overall impact of the benefits
   they’ve received. We’re proud to report that 12,394	graduating	youth	completed	our	
   our latest Graduate Survey – the largest number of participants to date.

   The pages that follow highlight data from that survey and illustrate the many ways our
   Youth Program is significantly improving the lives of impoverished youth worldwide.

Page 6 6                                                                    www.children.org
“My Dream...to Improve Our Society”
               	   		 	       	      	      	       	      	         									Edwin	Armijos	–	Ecuador	
                                                               “My name is Edwin Hernan Armijos, and
                                                               I am 18 years old. I have been part of the
                                                               Children International program since I was
                                                               3 years old, so I have had the chance to
                                                               participate in different activities developed
In His Words
                                                               by the organization.

                                                               I live with my parents, and like many
                                                               families in my community, we have to face
                                                               many dangers...for example, the violence
                                                               that threatens my neighborhood. My father
                                                               works as a messenger and my mother as
                                                               a maid. They have always reminded me
                                                               about the importance of education and to
                                                               be ready for the future.

                                                          I have been part of the leadership group for
                                                          three years and that has helped me become
                   an individual who generates change in the community. I work with other youth to
                   do many activities – youth who participate in the Youth Health Corps and others
                   who have vision for the future.

                   The Youth Health Corps has helped me and hundreds of youth understand
                   the responsibility of being parents at an early age. We have learned about the
                   importance of preventing sexually transmitted diseases – that is to say, we have
                   learned to live responsibly.

                   Nowadays, I am in the third level of computer engineering, and I work as a
                   community teacher at night. I help the elderly finish their primary school studies.
                   Training to be a teacher was one of the many valuable things I learned from
                   Children International.

                   Thanks to the organization, I have learned the importance of being an agent of
                   change in my community. I am aware that finishing my career is a big step in my
                   life. I am working hard to get good grades, and I hope to have a good future in
                   order to have my own business fixing computers. I want to give jobs and help other
                   families with that.

                   In the future, I want to make sure that more youth get involved in the activities of
                   Children International to take advantage of them the same way I did. My dream
                   is that other children and youth will recognize the opportunities provided by the
                   organization in order to improve our society in the future.”




                                                                                                         Page 7
Better Prospects, Thanks to Better Health
      In the developing world, a young person’s prospects for success depend largely upon
      his or her ability to stay healthy. One untreated injury or illness could be all it takes to
      impair physical and cognitive development, interrupt or halt school attendance, and
      cause long-term financial distress.

      The unfortunate reality, though, is that most impoverished youth reside in communities
      that lack adequate medical facilities. Public health clinics are few and far between,
      and those that do exist are typically underfunded, overcrowded and understaffed.
Health
      Then there’s the issue of medicine. Even if a youth manages to see a doctor, those who
      live in extreme poverty (currently defined by the World Bank as $1.25 a day or less)
      seldom can afford to pay for the medicine required for recovery.

      As a result, young people tend to avoid health care services. Many fail to receive
      preventive care, potentially compounding health risks later in life. According to the
      World Health Organization, “Nearly two-thirds of premature deaths and one-third of the
      total disease burden in adults are associated with conditions or behaviors that began in
      their youth.”

                           Care They Can Count On
      Children International provides free basic medical care and medicine so youth can
      maintain and improve their health. Our medical clinics are situated in or near their
      communities, allowing us to offer timely access to treatment, while partnerships
      with public and private health providers make it possible to arrange specialized and
      emergency care as necessary.

      Beyond that, we offer health-education workshops and training to participants and
      their parents on an array of health topics, ranging from good nutrition, safe hygiene and
      sanitary practices, to the prevention and control of communicable diseases.

      Youth who want to share their knowledge and training throughout their communities
      are invited to join our Youth	Health	Corps and become peer educators. They’re
      equipped with the skills they need to educate other adolescents on topics such as
      sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, substance
      abuse and early pregnancy.                                        71% of
                                                                     participating
      By the time youth graduate from our program, all            youth believe they
      indicators suggest they are capable of leading                 are healthier
      healthier, more productive lives. Among those youth
      who took our 2010 Graduate Survey, 71	percent	
      believe	they	are	healthier	as	a	result	of	the	program.
      And nearly as many believe they have the ability
      to stay healthier than youth who were not part of
      the program.


   Page 8                                                                         www.children.org
Youth Health Corps      A Closer Look at the Youth Health Corps
                     Last year, we trained 2,037 youth             participated in our Youth Health
                     as peer educators. Those youth then           Corps (YHC) developed a much better
                     shared valuable health messages with          understanding of HIV through peer
                     139,740 peer contacts during classroom        education.
                     presentations, one-to-one chats and
                     community theater skits.                      At	the	start	of	2010,	only	43.5	percent	
                                                                   of	program	participants	could	identify	at	
                     Spreading awareness and clarifying            least	two	ways	of	preventing	the	sexual	
                     misconceptions about major health             transmission	of	HIV while rejecting at
                     topics is crucial to curtailing devastating   least two misconceptions about the virus.
                     diseases like HIV. The World Health           However	by	the	end	of	the	program,
                     Organization (WHO) estimates that             91.4	percent	could	do	so. That’s a
                     2,500	youth	worldwide	get	infected	           substantial achievement in communities
                     with	HIV	every	day.                           where the stigma of HIV has the power to
                                                                   silence any and all discussion.
                     The WHO further reports that only 30
                     percent of young men and 19 percent
                     of young women have the knowledge
                     they need to protect themselves against
                     the virus. By comparison, youth who




                                                 Peer Perspective
                      “Being an adolescent girl in a village,      increased very
                      I had to be very careful in the way          much after
                      that I behaved so that I would not be        this training. I
                      considered promiscuous by others in the      feel that I will
                      village. Around this time, I heard of the    need these
                      YHC training and felt that it was needed     qualities in the
                      by everyone, so I joined….                   future, too,
                                                                   when I move
                      Once I became a peer educator and            forward on life’s
                      started learning about sexual and            path. More so
                      reproductive health, I would visit           because it is my
                      libraries and learn more about the topics,   aim to spread
                      then I would disseminate this knowledge      all that I have    Mina Khamaru, India
                      among my friends.                            learnt among       Career Goal: Doctor
                                                                   people living
                      As a peer educator...I have now become       around me. This, I believe, will lead
                      a more patient person and can listen         people to becoming more aware
                      to someone else more patiently than I        of health issues and bring about
                      could earlier. Also, my confidence has       a positive change in the environment.”


                                                                                                     Page 9
Empowered by Education
     Global access to primary education has           world. Only six years of schooling are
     steadily improved over the years, and yet,       mandatory for children ages 7 and up, but less
     enrollment sharply declines as children get      than	half	of	all	children	actually	complete	the	
     older. UNICEF reports that nearly half the       full	six	years	and	less	than	one-third	advance	
Education
     world’s	youth	don’t	attend	secondary	school	     to secondary school.
     at	the	appropriate	age. Current estimates put
     the number of out-of-school youth as high as     Many of those young people leave school to
     70 million, and over half of those are girls.    work and help their families earn an income.
                                                      The need for food and other necessities simply
     Educational outcomes in Honduras, as             supersedes school, which doesn’t necessarily
     reported by our agency there, offer a glimpse    yield better job prospects in impoverished
     at academic challenges in the developing         communities.



                                   A Study in Progress
     Our educational programs help alleviate          In fact, over	95	percent	of	all	participating	
     the burdens impoverished families face and       children	and	youth	reported	that	they	had	
     promote school completion by providing           enrolled	and	passed	the	previous	school	
     school supplies, fees and other support.         year. Likewise, our Graduate Survey suggests
     As youth near graduation, our HOPE Fund          that active participation in our Youth Program
     provides scholarships to qualified youth         promotes higher education.
     so they can advance their studies or get
     vocational training.



                     Active	participation	increased	the	likelihood	that	youth	
                         attended	a	1-4	year	college	or	technical	course


                  Active	Participants


                  Non	Participants


                0%            5%            10%          15%           20%           25%


               • 89	percent rated the education support they received as good or excellent.
               • 69	percent claim to have more schooling as a result of our programs.
               • 77	percent of those who frequently participate in programs state they are
                 more likely to complete high school.


     Page 10                                                                   www.children.org
Hope for the Future                Lessons Learned from HOPE
                      Since we launched our HOPE Fund               At the time this report was compiled,
                      in 2005, we’ve	awarded	nearly	8,500	          1,777	HOPE	scholarships	had	been	
                      scholarships	to	help	disadvantaged	youth      awarded	for	the	2009-2010 academic
                      complete high school, attend universities     year. Here’s a look at how those
                      or pursue vocational training.                scholarships were applied:

                      HOPE stands for Helping Overcome
                      Poverty through Education. Scholarships
                      are awarded to qualified youth at                                   Upper
                      the highest level of need who also                                Secondary
                      demonstrate personal initiative and a              University     Completion
                      dedication to community service. Special             26%             24%
                      priority is given to youth who belong to
                      marginalized groups, including females
                      and indigenous applicants. Recipients                      Vocational
                      can use their scholarship funds to cover                      50%
                      tuition, fees, transportation, supplies and
                      other related costs.




                                                  HOPE in Action
                                                                    The most difficult thing in all these
                                                                    years of studying was always the cost.
                                                                    It is assumed that education is free, but
                                                                    it’s not like that. The uniforms, school
                                                                    supplies, and additional requirements
                                                                    schools ask for are expenses that
                                                                    parents can hardly ever cover. If we
                                                                    do not pay, the school may not let us
                                                                    continue the school year. In my case,
                                                                    the most difficult thing is the cost of
                                                                    transportation, because I live in a
                                                                    very distant village, which is far from
                                                                    everything.

                              Sulmy Fuentes Ramírez                 Thank goodness I have a HOPE
                                   Guatemala                        scholarship. With the scholarship, I can
                                                                    study without the pressure or insecurity
                       “I am 18 years old, and at present,          of not knowing if I will be able to
                       I am doing professional training in          continue studying the next month.
                       expert bookkeeping. I graduate this year     For me, the scholarship means
                       and will continue at the university….        calmness, stability and safety.”


                                                                                                      Page 11
Leveraging the Power of Leadership
     Youth who actively participate in our programs       Participating youth have more
     report they are more likely to have confidence     confidence in terms of leadership,
     in their leadership skills compared to those       goal setting, problem solving and
     who never participate. They, in turn, utilize            supporting themselves
Leadership
     those skills in their communities during civic-
     minded activities which they organize and
     implement.

     The three main programs which help instill
                                                                        87%
     leadership abilities in our youth are:                 participating youth
     Youth Leadership Training
     Participants learn critical skills like                                      13% not
     communication, problem solving and                                          supported
     decision-making, with the goal of sharing                                     by CI
     their knowledge and improving community
     organization and development. Training
     culminates in service projects like community
     clean-up initiatives and awareness campaigns.
     Last	year,	youth	participants	conducted	674	
     community-service	projects.
                                                           Empowerment by
     Youth Councils
     In	2010,	3,388	youth	participated	in	Youth	
                                                              Example
     Councils at our 17 agencies around the world.     One of the most notable Youth
     The youth elect representatives to advocate on    Empowerment Fund projects was carried
     their behalf within the agency, while council     out by 100 youth in Kanyama, Zambia,
     members gain valuable life skills and conduct     who used $5,000 to construct six
     volunteer efforts and community outreach.         waterborne toilets at the public health
     They’re also tasked with managing the Youth       clinic in their community.
     Empowerment Fund.
                                                       The public clinic had closed its only
     Youth Empowerment Fund                            two outpatient pit latrines after a cholera
     Children International allocates annual           outbreak in 2009, leaving an estimated
     funds which Youth Councils use to alleviate       3,000 patients a day without on-site
     problems in their communities. Under the          access to a sanitary facility.
     guidance of agency staff, participants identify
     projects, create project proposals, then plan     “This is the first time the community has
     and implement the projects.                       come together to build a structure at the
                                                       clinic to assist patients,” said the clinic’s
     Last year, 68,792	youth	joined	in	activities      director, Sister Njovu. “If this is the type
     affiliated with the Youth Councils and the        of thinking the youth will bring when they
     Youth Empowerment Fund. They carried out          become leaders, then we are assured a
     89	projects	at	a	total	cost	of	$277,231,	or	      bright future.”
     an	average	of	$3,115	per	project.

     Page 12                                                                   www.children.org
A Leader at Work
                                                               hunger in Arkansas) with the North
                                                               Little Rock Youth Council. We did this
                                                               by having a rock concert and a silent
                                                               auction, where we sold paintings, a
                                                               jacket autographed by American Idol
In Her Words
                                                               winner Kris Allen, dinner tickets, hotel
                                                               accommodations and other items. And
                                                               I helped a single mom who is working
                                                               full-time and going to school full-time.
                                                               She’s going to school at the University of
                                                               Arkansas at Little Rock and majoring in
                                                               social work.

                                                               The most exciting project to date is the
                                                               Our House Youth Kitchen Makeover.
                                                               (Youth identify a disadvantaged family
               “My name is LaKimmy, and I’m the                struggling with poor nutrition and use
               current president of the 2010-2011              proceeds from the Youth Empowerment
               Children International–UALR Youth               Fund to furnish them with an adequate
               Council. I’ve been a member of Children         kitchen.) It’s been exciting because I
               International for several years and have        have always wanted to help someone
               learned a great deal from leadership            redo their kitchen – and this is for a great
               training.                                       cause!

               My leadership work with Children                I think that my leadership experiences
               International has inspired me to branch         will guide me through the journeys to
               out and serve my community in many              come. I know it will be difficult once I
               ways. For example, I am raising money to        graduate from high school and I am on
               help children suffering from cleft palates.     my own. I will need to lead myself and
                                                               continue to be a leader for others in order
               I have also helped raise $1,500 for Rice        to prosper in the future.”
               Depot (an organization that alleviates

                                    84	percent	of	surveyed	youth	rated	our
                                    leadership	training	as	good	or	excellent
                               6,000
                               5,000
                               4,000
                               3,000
                               2,000
                               1,000
                                   0
                                           Poor		     Fair		      Good		     Excellent

                                                                                                  Page 13
A Hands-on Approach with Signature Programs
        All the ambition in the world won’t help a young woman achieve success if she’s
        unable to negotiate threats to her health and safety in her destitute community.
        Neither will a perfect grade-point average ensure there will be food on the table
        of a young man who must work to help feed his family.
Game On!
        In addition to intellectual and psychological development, impoverished youth
        require physical skills and training in order to improve their opportunities
        for success. That’s why we helped implement Game	On!	Youth	Sports™	– in
        partnership with the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) – and Into	
        Employment. The two programs equip youth with physical, social and job skills
        to help them confront their challenges and better compete for limited job openings
        or academic admissions.



                 Among	the	youth	who	participate	in	six	or	more	
               program	activities,	71 percent believe they have
              more ability to reach their goals than youth who
                   are	not	supported	by	Children	International.



                            Getting into the Game
         “Game On! is about more than sports. It’s about teaching skills and values that
         can help give children and young people the edge they need to get ahead in life,”
         says Dan Phelan, the campaign chairman who helped launch the community
         sports program.
         Game On! provides a tried-and-true method of motivating young people,
         including those who typically shun educational programs and may be drawn
         to drug abuse, gang influence, early marriage and pregnancy. Organized sports
         leagues and activities teach youth the value of teamwork, conflict resolution,
         respect for authority, performance under pressure and other qualities that promote
         personal and social responsibility.
         Participatory athletics help strengthen communities, as well, by building social
         networks and unifying members of the community to strive toward common
         goals. Parents, teachers and youth volunteers alike receive specialized training
         and become reliable role models in neighborhoods where positive influences are
         sometimes few and far between.
         Our goal is to expand the program to include over 7,500 youth in nine countries
         by 2015.


    Page 14                                                                  www.children.org
Like a True Pro
     A hot, dusty barrio outside Guadalajara,         While visiting our agency in Mexico, Hannah
     Mexico, is the last place you might expect to    also had the chance to try out her soccer
     find a U.S. snowboarding champion, but that’s    skills during a Game On! event and then give
     precisely where two-time	Olympic	medalist	       participants a pep talk about training hard to
     Hannah Teter went this past year to check out    achieve success. Alongside Hannah, pitching
     our programs.                                    in some extra advice, were her good friends
                                                      and fellow Children International supporters,
     Hannah is the perfect example of how             snowboarding teammate Gabi Viteri and
     athletics can help mold a young person into a    Nike-endorsed surfer	Monyca	Byrne-Wickey.
     dedicated, driven and conscientious individual
     who gives back to society. Besides sponsoring    We’re honored to have Hannah, Gabi and
     children since 2007, she	donates	a	percentage	   Monyca as role models for our youth. All three
     of	the	proceeds	from	her	clothing	line	to	       are proof that, with the right support, any child
     help	feed	malnourished	children through our      can rise to the top.
     nutrition program.




www.children.org
    www.children.org                                                                         Page 15 15
                                                                                               Page
Employment             Opened Doors, Into Employment




      “No poor child dreams of growing up to             highly demanded in their communities. They
      become a street vendor, a field hand or a          develop skills in areas such as information
      maid,” Gordon Bailey, the chairman of our          technology, hospitality services, welding and
      Into Employment program, points out. “They         automotive repair. Youth also learn soft skills
      don’t work hard to get good grades in school –     like interpersonal and written communication,
      and their families don’t make enormous             computer literacy, customer service, time
      sacrifices to keep them there – just so they end   management and financial literacy to fully
      up washing clothes for pennies a day.”             prepare them for the workplace.

      Gordon’s sentiments echo a growing concern         “Pointed in the right direction and given a
      in the developing world: young people, even        few important tools, smart, capable youth can
      those who are educated, lack the specialized       ignite their potential and make something of
      skills to obtain jobs in the modern global         themselves,” Gordon concludes.
      economy. As a result, it’s estimated that 81
      million youth who are seeking work remain          Increased financial support for Into
      unemployed.                                        Employment would enable us to train at least
                                                         10,500 youth of legal working age by 2015.
      We started offering Into Employment, in            That could lead to thousands of open doors to
      conjunction with a group called Aide et            gainful employment for disadvantaged youth…
      Action International, to give impoverished         and many more opportunities to shut the door
      youth employable skills for trades that are        on poverty for future generations.


                       72% of the graduating youth we surveyed said they are
                       interested in jobs which require further training or education.
                       99% said they know what they have to do to get the job they
                       want.




      Page 16                                                                      www.children.org
The Odds of Employment
In countries like the Philippines, which is home
to almost 20 million adolescents between the                                        95%
                                                                            have one or more job
ages of 10 and 19, higher education is often
                                                                           skills upon graduation
unobtainable. Admission to universities is very
competitive, as well, forcing even the brightest,
most studious youth to seek out jobs before
they possess adequate skills and training.

Youth who do find jobs are likely to become
                                                                                    78%
                                                                             rated our job skills
underemployed and therefore unable to                                        training as good or
improve their circumstances. Or they simply                                        excellent
remain unemployed. The International Labour
Organization reports that youth are three times
more	likely	be	unemployed	than	adults.
                                                                                    89%
By contrast, youth who participate in Into                                  believe they have an
Employment and our other enrichment                                         increased likelihood
                                                                              of a better future
programs gain skills they can immediately
put to their advantage.

              “The First Step Toward My Dreams”
                            “Hi, I’m Patrick        sure that I manage my time wisely. Studying
                            Borbe, a youth          comes first, then helping out at home.
                            from San Miguel
                            Island in the           I chose a course in consumer electronics
                            Philippines. I          because I want to learn how to repair
                            come from a poor        household appliances and other electronic
                            family, and my          gadgets. I find it very interesting, and it is a
                            parents cannot          step toward realizing my dream of having a
                            afford to send me       repair shop someday. From our trainings, I
                            to school. That         have learned how to make a power supply
                            is why Children         and radio, repair cellular phones and more.
                            International’s
                            Into Employment         What I like about this training is that they
                            program is a big        also assist us in finding a job. Getting a
                            blessing for me.        job is important to me because, through
                                                    it, I can help my parents. That is one of my
 Every day I wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 in the         goals in life. Once I have a job, I could also
 morning so that I will make it in time for         send myself to school so that I can earn a
 training on the mainland. I choose not to stay     bachelor’s degree.
 at a boarding house so I can still help out
 when I come home at night. As one of the           Into Employment is the first step toward my
 older children, I help with household chores       dreams. That’s why I am so thankful that I’m
 and also mat weaving. To do this, I make           part of it.”


www.children.org                                                                             Page 17
Partnerships that Foster Potential
Several of the targeted programs we offer          Employment program in Honduras for another
to youth are the result of generous support        14 months. The program was originally
from private foundations, charitable trusts        launched with contributions from the Kellogg
and corporations. When we partner	with	            Foundation and the Monsanto Fund.
organizations that share our humanitarian
outlook and endeavors, we have a greater           “We value that teens are benefiting from this
ability to deliver a wide array of programs,       program and want to improve their lives and
benefits and services that alleviate poverty and   their communities,” said Jonathan Hartley,
empower youth and their communities in very        President of HSBC Honduras. “By continuing
direct, lasting ways.                              to fund this program, we know more teens
                                                   will benefit and more communities will be
Partners like Microsoft,	Citi	Foundation,	the	     improved.”
Monsanto	Fund,	the	Kellogg	Foundation,	the	
West	Foundation,	and	Barclays	Bank have            For youth in Honduras – the second
funded programs to equip youth with job            poorest country in Latin America, with an
skills, financial literacy and much more.          unemployment rate of nearly 60 percent for
                                                   youth ages 15 to 24 – the continuation of the
At the end of 2010, HSBC Global Financial          program means they’ll have the skills they
Services awarded a grant to fund the Into          need to compete in an uncertain economy.




                  Children International and the
                  United Nations: A Joint Mission
Over the years, several of our youth have been     Children International has Special Consultative
recognized by the United Nations for both          Status with the Economic and Social Council
their outstanding personal achievements and        of the United Nations and is associated with
commitment to improving their communities.         the UN’s Department of Public Information.
In particular, they were invited to attend
international conferences, where they were         Most importantly, though, our programs
asked to contribute their input on pressing        directly support and further the UN’s goals
issues that affect youth around the world. That    to end extreme poverty by 2015, goals that
special recognition has even helped them win       include: ensuring all boys and girls complete a
additional scholarships, fellowships and job       full course of primary education, and working
prospects.                                         to promote full and productive employment
                                                   and decent work for all, including women and
Our history of supporting youth in developing      young people.
countries has earned us recognition as well.




Page 18                                                                     www.children.org
@Children_Intl Youth Report Card 2011
Summing up Our Graduate Survey
    After analyzing the results, it’s clear that active	participation	among	youth	leads	
    to	positive	outcomes. The survey suggests that youth who frequently take part in
    our programs are using opportunities to their advantage, while those who don’t
    participate are less sure of themselves and their abilities.


           ACTIVE	YOUTH	PARTICIPANTS	ARE	                                     Participants
               MORE	LIKELY	TO	SUCEED                                          Non-participants
   100
    90
    80
    70
    60
    50
    40
    30
    20
    10
     0
            Believe they         Have	completed	        Better able to       Express	greater	
             have more          secondary school       solve	problems         confidence	in	
           ability to reach      or are currently                            their ability to
             their goals             in school                             support	themselves	
                                                                               financially


    Even among the youth who participated in only one or two activities in the last year,
    60	percent believe they have more ability to reach their goals than youth who are
    not supported by Children International.

    The survey also reflects positive increases over 2009 outcomes in several categories
    which are critical to long-term development and self-sufficiency:

    • 69 percent of active participants believed they had a greater ability to stay
      healthy in 2010 versus 60 percent the year before.
    • 91 percent were enrolled in or completed school in 2010 over 76 percent
      the year before.
    • 60 percent in 2010 versus 47.5 percent in 2009 professed a better ability to
      support themselves financially in the future.

    Gains like that reveal the power of participation and, in the developing world, they
    represent progress over poverty.


Page 20                                                                     www.children.org
Final Outcomes and Future Opportunities




                                                                                           Opportunities
Participation in the Children International       •		Enhance	community	partnerships	to	better		
Youth Program not only helps youth better         	 fund	and	facilitate	Youth	Empowerment		
understand themselves, it helps them realize      	 Fund	proposals
what they must do to break free from poverty
and achieve their goals in life.                  •	 Extend	the	Into	Employment	program	into		
                                                  	 every	country	where	Children	International		
In the 2010 Youth Report Card, we set a              works and establish a system of monitoring
goal of increasing the percentage of youth        	 their	progress.
who participate in our Youth Program
from what was then 15 percent to 85               If we want youth to become self-sufficient,
percent by 2015. Over the course of last          contributing members of society, we must
year alone, we observed a substantial             first help them acquire the specialized skills
increase in participation, thanks mostly to       they need to get the jobs demanded in their
growing support for our Game On! and Into         communities. To do so requires a long-term
Employment programs.                              investment in their potential, and by extension,
                                                  overall global progress in our increasingly
Like any major enterprise, there is always        interconnected world.
room for improvement, and we intend to
ramp up participation and the ensuing positive    Children International has the infrastructure
outcomes by pursuing the following goals in       and network of support in place to affect
the years ahead:                                  positive changes in the world’s most
                                                  vulnerable youth. Our latest Graduate Survey
•	 Create	more	mentorship	opportunities		         suggests as much. But it will require increased
   between graduating youth and new               funding to grow programs like our HOPE
   members of the Youth Program to                Scholarship Fund, Into Employment and Youth
   encourage involvement                          Leadership Training and empower youth
                                                  with the knowledge and abilities required to
•	 Invest	more	resources	in	our	Youth	Councils	   succeed in today’s turbulent global economy.
	 to	expand	their	outreach	and	foster	greater		
	 participation	across	communities


www.children.org                                                                         Page 21
Ending on a Positive Note
       “This is Debashis Acharye. A little here
       about my past…an only child in the family,
       my grandparents, an aunt and I were totally
In HIs Words
       dependent on my parents’ meager resources,
       which they pooled together by working as
       a daily worker (that’s my father) and a maid
       (my mother). Quite expected, our six-member
       family saw a lot of economic hardships and
       deficiencies in our everyday lives.

       Despite their poverty, however, my parents
       held on to their one and only dream of raising
       me well so that I would manage to move
       on to greener pastures in life. To fulfill this
       dream, my parents would have to make a
       lot of sacrifices, which they did. For obvious
       reasons, their little savings would always fall
       short of what was needed to raise me; yet, they
       continued working hard and zealously and
       spent every rupee they could to ensure my             for me. My family believed strongly that my
       smooth future.                                        participation had actually flung open the door
                                                             to my success in life and urged me to make the
       Grinding poverty and daily hardships were             best use of this opportunity.
       taking a toll on my family and me, and when
       things seemed really bleak, there was a sudden        The program extended the HOPE scholarship
       turn around in my life. I became a part of            to me for continuing my education, and in
       Children International, and my family breathed        2010, I completed my university education. I
       a sigh of relief. For my parents, it meant that       received a job interview for retail sales, and
       all their sacrifices would not go in vain. All this   facing tough competition, I actually bagged
       happened a decade ago. I was only 9 years             the job.
       old then.
                                                             I am in my second year now as an employed
       Through the years, the program not only bore          person and am a self-sufficient and
       the major expenses toward my education                economically independent person, just as my
       but also ensured that I could avail of health         parents had hoped. I am now studying for an
       checkups and related medical treatments the           MBA degree to further my career.
       year round. Besides, there were other clothing
       and family benefits.                                  I shall always remain grateful to Children
                                                             International for extending all kinds of
       The leadership trainings and other valuable           support – educational, medical, economic
       learning experiences I picked up while in the         and moral – that instilled courage,
       Youth Program also went hand in hand in               determination and self-confidence in me
       opening a new horizon full of opportunities           and helped me achieve self-sufficiency.”




       Page 22                                                                         www.children.org
We’d like to acknowledge the following individuals for providing photos for the 2011 Youth Report Card:
                                                                        Kari Row, independent photographer
                                                             Joel Abelinde of our Manila, Philippines, agency
                                                    Patricia Calderón of our Barranquilla, Colombia, agency
                                                  Javier Cárcamo of our Guatemala City, Guatemala, agency
                                                                   Pedro Díaz of our Quito, Ecuador, agency
                                                                Nivedita Moitra of our Kolkata, India, agency
                                                         Susannah Myers of our Little Rock, Arkansas, agency
                                                       Sarah Jane Velasco of our Tabaco, Philippines, agency




www.children.org                                                                                      Page 23
2000 E. Red Bridge Road
                                   Kansas City, MO 64131




                 © 2011 Children International
                       www.children.org


Children International® is a service mark of Children International.

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@Children_Intl Youth Report Card 2011

  • 1. Children international® Youth RepoRt CaRd 2011 pRogRess oveR poveRtY
  • 2. table of Contents 3 Forward - A Letter from Jim Cook 5 Challenges for Today’s Youth 6 Focused. Centered. Ready to Serve. 8 Better Prospects, Thanks to Better Health 10 Empowered by Education 12 Leveraging the Power of Leadership 14 A Hands-on Approach with Signature Programs 18 Partnerships that Foster Potential 20 Summing up Our Graduate Survey 21 Final Outcomes and Future Opportunities www.children.org
  • 3. Rich with Potential There is something extremely exciting about seeing a young person begin to realize his or her potential. It’s that pivotal point when the possibilities of a brighter future dawn on the individual – and it’s wonderful to behold! That’s the feeling I had as I reviewed the results in this Youth Report Card. Children International youth have been leading up to a point where they possess the skills, traits and confidence to pursue a life unburdened by poverty. Ninety percent of the world’s youth live in developing countries, and those youth are more vulnerable to unemployment and poverty, according to the Interational Labour Organization. Impoverished youth too often lack the education or experience to obtain and keep a job, thereby compounding the cycle of poverty in their countries. Our youth need all the preparation and training our programs provide in order to compete in the current job market, and I take tremendous pride in the fact that we offer them opportunities for personal enrichment, educational support, job-skills training and building exemplary leadership abilities. It’s my dream that each and every one of the youth we support will live a rich, fulfilling life. And that dream is shared by Children International’s generous contributors, who make it possible for these youth to strive for a better way of life – one that can surely become a reality. Thank you for taking an interest in these young men and women. With your guidance and support, they can certainly gain the skills and confidence to believe in themselves and break their way out of poverty. Our youth are rich with potential, and I believe the results of the Youth Report Card confirm that. I hope you find the outcomes within as encouraging as I do! Sincerely, Jim Cook President www.children.org Page 3
  • 4. Page 4 www.children.org
  • 5. Challenges for Today’s Youth There are 1.2 billion adolescents • One-third of all new HIV cases between the ages of 10 and 19 in the worldwide involve youth aged world today. Of those, 9 out of 10 live in 15 to 24. the developing world. • One in every three girls in the A closer look reveals that the developing world gets married overwhelming majority of young people before the age of 18. are growing up in communities that fail to provide many essential services, “Adopting a life-cycle approach to child Challenges let alone opportunities for security and development, with greater attention given success. Too many youth are being to care, empowerment and protection deprived of quality education, adequate of adolescents…is the soundest way to health care and safe, constructive break the intergenerational transmission environments in which they can thrive of poverty,” UNICEF recommends. and excel. Children International’s Youth Program Growing up in unstable communities is designed to do precisely that. It builds with few prospects for the future, youth on the personal progress young men are more susceptible to substance and women have achieved as a result abuse, gang participation, absenteeism of medical, educational and material from school, and early pregnancy and support and equips them with the marriage. What hope does that spell for additional life skills they need to rise the future of our world? above poverty and make successful transitions into adulthood. The challenges today’s youth face have been further compounded by economic As the global population of impoverished strains on the global economy, making it youth continues to grow and encounters increasingly difficult for young men and unforeseen challenges, increased support women in developing countries to break of Children International’s Youth Program free from dire poverty. Judging by key will ensure that both current and future indicators in UNICEF’s 2011 State of the generations can avail of life-changing World’s Children report, the odds don’t opportunities no matter how dire their look promising: circumstances. Because youth who are capable, confident and productive not • Half of all young people in the only strengthen their communities, they world do not attend secondary enrich the world as well. school at the appropriate age. • A quarter of the world’s working poor is aged 15 to 24. Meanwhile, 81 million older youth who are eligible and willing to work remain unemployed. Page 5
  • 6. Children International Youth: Focused. Centered. Ready to Serve. At the end of 2010, a total of 149,231 youth ages 12 to 19 were receiving support from Children International. Those young men and women represent 11 countries, including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico, the Philippines, Zambia and the United States. We believe each youth has a valuable role to play in society. As soon as boys and girls reach the age of 12, they are invited to join our Youth Program and begin acquiring essential life skills. The program is designed to enhance their self-awareness, social and leadership skills, project-management abilities, community involvement and more. The programs they can take advantage of are wide-ranging: Youth Health Corps Utilizes peer-to-peer health training to educate youth and members of their community about preventable diseases, sexual and reproductive health, substance abuse and early pregnancies. (See p. 9) The HOPE Scholarship Fund Awards scholarships to qualified youth who need help covering costs for secondary school, vocational training or higher education. (See p.11) Youth Leadership Training Offers hands-on training to help youth develop skills such as interpersonal communication, decision making, conflict resolution, critical thinking, problem solving and civic participation. (See p. 12) Youth Councils and the Youth Empowerment Fund Gives youth a chance to democratically elect their own representatives to better address issues that affect them and grants them the authority to use resources in ways that directly improve their lives and communities. (See p. 12) Game On! and Into Employment Game On! Youth Sports™ fosters better health and team-building and conflict- resolution skills through organized sports leagues; while Into Employment equips youth with networking and job skills in areas such as information technology, hospitality services and more. (See pp. 14-16) Each year, as our youth participants near graduation, we ask them to fill out a survey to measure the effectiveness of our programs as well as the overall impact of the benefits they’ve received. We’re proud to report that 12,394 graduating youth completed our our latest Graduate Survey – the largest number of participants to date. The pages that follow highlight data from that survey and illustrate the many ways our Youth Program is significantly improving the lives of impoverished youth worldwide. Page 6 6 www.children.org
  • 7. “My Dream...to Improve Our Society” Edwin Armijos – Ecuador “My name is Edwin Hernan Armijos, and I am 18 years old. I have been part of the Children International program since I was 3 years old, so I have had the chance to participate in different activities developed In His Words by the organization. I live with my parents, and like many families in my community, we have to face many dangers...for example, the violence that threatens my neighborhood. My father works as a messenger and my mother as a maid. They have always reminded me about the importance of education and to be ready for the future. I have been part of the leadership group for three years and that has helped me become an individual who generates change in the community. I work with other youth to do many activities – youth who participate in the Youth Health Corps and others who have vision for the future. The Youth Health Corps has helped me and hundreds of youth understand the responsibility of being parents at an early age. We have learned about the importance of preventing sexually transmitted diseases – that is to say, we have learned to live responsibly. Nowadays, I am in the third level of computer engineering, and I work as a community teacher at night. I help the elderly finish their primary school studies. Training to be a teacher was one of the many valuable things I learned from Children International. Thanks to the organization, I have learned the importance of being an agent of change in my community. I am aware that finishing my career is a big step in my life. I am working hard to get good grades, and I hope to have a good future in order to have my own business fixing computers. I want to give jobs and help other families with that. In the future, I want to make sure that more youth get involved in the activities of Children International to take advantage of them the same way I did. My dream is that other children and youth will recognize the opportunities provided by the organization in order to improve our society in the future.” Page 7
  • 8. Better Prospects, Thanks to Better Health In the developing world, a young person’s prospects for success depend largely upon his or her ability to stay healthy. One untreated injury or illness could be all it takes to impair physical and cognitive development, interrupt or halt school attendance, and cause long-term financial distress. The unfortunate reality, though, is that most impoverished youth reside in communities that lack adequate medical facilities. Public health clinics are few and far between, and those that do exist are typically underfunded, overcrowded and understaffed. Health Then there’s the issue of medicine. Even if a youth manages to see a doctor, those who live in extreme poverty (currently defined by the World Bank as $1.25 a day or less) seldom can afford to pay for the medicine required for recovery. As a result, young people tend to avoid health care services. Many fail to receive preventive care, potentially compounding health risks later in life. According to the World Health Organization, “Nearly two-thirds of premature deaths and one-third of the total disease burden in adults are associated with conditions or behaviors that began in their youth.” Care They Can Count On Children International provides free basic medical care and medicine so youth can maintain and improve their health. Our medical clinics are situated in or near their communities, allowing us to offer timely access to treatment, while partnerships with public and private health providers make it possible to arrange specialized and emergency care as necessary. Beyond that, we offer health-education workshops and training to participants and their parents on an array of health topics, ranging from good nutrition, safe hygiene and sanitary practices, to the prevention and control of communicable diseases. Youth who want to share their knowledge and training throughout their communities are invited to join our Youth Health Corps and become peer educators. They’re equipped with the skills they need to educate other adolescents on topics such as sexual and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, substance abuse and early pregnancy. 71% of participating By the time youth graduate from our program, all youth believe they indicators suggest they are capable of leading are healthier healthier, more productive lives. Among those youth who took our 2010 Graduate Survey, 71 percent believe they are healthier as a result of the program. And nearly as many believe they have the ability to stay healthier than youth who were not part of the program. Page 8 www.children.org
  • 9. Youth Health Corps A Closer Look at the Youth Health Corps Last year, we trained 2,037 youth participated in our Youth Health as peer educators. Those youth then Corps (YHC) developed a much better shared valuable health messages with understanding of HIV through peer 139,740 peer contacts during classroom education. presentations, one-to-one chats and community theater skits. At the start of 2010, only 43.5 percent of program participants could identify at Spreading awareness and clarifying least two ways of preventing the sexual misconceptions about major health transmission of HIV while rejecting at topics is crucial to curtailing devastating least two misconceptions about the virus. diseases like HIV. The World Health However by the end of the program, Organization (WHO) estimates that 91.4 percent could do so. That’s a 2,500 youth worldwide get infected substantial achievement in communities with HIV every day. where the stigma of HIV has the power to silence any and all discussion. The WHO further reports that only 30 percent of young men and 19 percent of young women have the knowledge they need to protect themselves against the virus. By comparison, youth who Peer Perspective “Being an adolescent girl in a village, increased very I had to be very careful in the way much after that I behaved so that I would not be this training. I considered promiscuous by others in the feel that I will village. Around this time, I heard of the need these YHC training and felt that it was needed qualities in the by everyone, so I joined…. future, too, when I move Once I became a peer educator and forward on life’s started learning about sexual and path. More so reproductive health, I would visit because it is my libraries and learn more about the topics, aim to spread then I would disseminate this knowledge all that I have Mina Khamaru, India among my friends. learnt among Career Goal: Doctor people living As a peer educator...I have now become around me. This, I believe, will lead a more patient person and can listen people to becoming more aware to someone else more patiently than I of health issues and bring about could earlier. Also, my confidence has a positive change in the environment.” Page 9
  • 10. Empowered by Education Global access to primary education has world. Only six years of schooling are steadily improved over the years, and yet, mandatory for children ages 7 and up, but less enrollment sharply declines as children get than half of all children actually complete the older. UNICEF reports that nearly half the full six years and less than one-third advance Education world’s youth don’t attend secondary school to secondary school. at the appropriate age. Current estimates put the number of out-of-school youth as high as Many of those young people leave school to 70 million, and over half of those are girls. work and help their families earn an income. The need for food and other necessities simply Educational outcomes in Honduras, as supersedes school, which doesn’t necessarily reported by our agency there, offer a glimpse yield better job prospects in impoverished at academic challenges in the developing communities. A Study in Progress Our educational programs help alleviate In fact, over 95 percent of all participating the burdens impoverished families face and children and youth reported that they had promote school completion by providing enrolled and passed the previous school school supplies, fees and other support. year. Likewise, our Graduate Survey suggests As youth near graduation, our HOPE Fund that active participation in our Youth Program provides scholarships to qualified youth promotes higher education. so they can advance their studies or get vocational training. Active participation increased the likelihood that youth attended a 1-4 year college or technical course Active Participants Non Participants 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% • 89 percent rated the education support they received as good or excellent. • 69 percent claim to have more schooling as a result of our programs. • 77 percent of those who frequently participate in programs state they are more likely to complete high school. Page 10 www.children.org
  • 11. Hope for the Future Lessons Learned from HOPE Since we launched our HOPE Fund At the time this report was compiled, in 2005, we’ve awarded nearly 8,500 1,777 HOPE scholarships had been scholarships to help disadvantaged youth awarded for the 2009-2010 academic complete high school, attend universities year. Here’s a look at how those or pursue vocational training. scholarships were applied: HOPE stands for Helping Overcome Poverty through Education. Scholarships are awarded to qualified youth at Upper the highest level of need who also Secondary demonstrate personal initiative and a University Completion dedication to community service. Special 26% 24% priority is given to youth who belong to marginalized groups, including females and indigenous applicants. Recipients Vocational can use their scholarship funds to cover 50% tuition, fees, transportation, supplies and other related costs. HOPE in Action The most difficult thing in all these years of studying was always the cost. It is assumed that education is free, but it’s not like that. The uniforms, school supplies, and additional requirements schools ask for are expenses that parents can hardly ever cover. If we do not pay, the school may not let us continue the school year. In my case, the most difficult thing is the cost of transportation, because I live in a very distant village, which is far from everything. Sulmy Fuentes Ramírez Thank goodness I have a HOPE Guatemala scholarship. With the scholarship, I can study without the pressure or insecurity “I am 18 years old, and at present, of not knowing if I will be able to I am doing professional training in continue studying the next month. expert bookkeeping. I graduate this year For me, the scholarship means and will continue at the university…. calmness, stability and safety.” Page 11
  • 12. Leveraging the Power of Leadership Youth who actively participate in our programs Participating youth have more report they are more likely to have confidence confidence in terms of leadership, in their leadership skills compared to those goal setting, problem solving and who never participate. They, in turn, utilize supporting themselves Leadership those skills in their communities during civic- minded activities which they organize and implement. The three main programs which help instill 87% leadership abilities in our youth are: participating youth Youth Leadership Training Participants learn critical skills like 13% not communication, problem solving and supported decision-making, with the goal of sharing by CI their knowledge and improving community organization and development. Training culminates in service projects like community clean-up initiatives and awareness campaigns. Last year, youth participants conducted 674 community-service projects. Empowerment by Youth Councils In 2010, 3,388 youth participated in Youth Example Councils at our 17 agencies around the world. One of the most notable Youth The youth elect representatives to advocate on Empowerment Fund projects was carried their behalf within the agency, while council out by 100 youth in Kanyama, Zambia, members gain valuable life skills and conduct who used $5,000 to construct six volunteer efforts and community outreach. waterborne toilets at the public health They’re also tasked with managing the Youth clinic in their community. Empowerment Fund. The public clinic had closed its only Youth Empowerment Fund two outpatient pit latrines after a cholera Children International allocates annual outbreak in 2009, leaving an estimated funds which Youth Councils use to alleviate 3,000 patients a day without on-site problems in their communities. Under the access to a sanitary facility. guidance of agency staff, participants identify projects, create project proposals, then plan “This is the first time the community has and implement the projects. come together to build a structure at the clinic to assist patients,” said the clinic’s Last year, 68,792 youth joined in activities director, Sister Njovu. “If this is the type affiliated with the Youth Councils and the of thinking the youth will bring when they Youth Empowerment Fund. They carried out become leaders, then we are assured a 89 projects at a total cost of $277,231, or bright future.” an average of $3,115 per project. Page 12 www.children.org
  • 13. A Leader at Work hunger in Arkansas) with the North Little Rock Youth Council. We did this by having a rock concert and a silent auction, where we sold paintings, a jacket autographed by American Idol In Her Words winner Kris Allen, dinner tickets, hotel accommodations and other items. And I helped a single mom who is working full-time and going to school full-time. She’s going to school at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and majoring in social work. The most exciting project to date is the Our House Youth Kitchen Makeover. (Youth identify a disadvantaged family “My name is LaKimmy, and I’m the struggling with poor nutrition and use current president of the 2010-2011 proceeds from the Youth Empowerment Children International–UALR Youth Fund to furnish them with an adequate Council. I’ve been a member of Children kitchen.) It’s been exciting because I International for several years and have have always wanted to help someone learned a great deal from leadership redo their kitchen – and this is for a great training. cause! My leadership work with Children I think that my leadership experiences International has inspired me to branch will guide me through the journeys to out and serve my community in many come. I know it will be difficult once I ways. For example, I am raising money to graduate from high school and I am on help children suffering from cleft palates. my own. I will need to lead myself and continue to be a leader for others in order I have also helped raise $1,500 for Rice to prosper in the future.” Depot (an organization that alleviates 84 percent of surveyed youth rated our leadership training as good or excellent 6,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Poor Fair Good Excellent Page 13
  • 14. A Hands-on Approach with Signature Programs All the ambition in the world won’t help a young woman achieve success if she’s unable to negotiate threats to her health and safety in her destitute community. Neither will a perfect grade-point average ensure there will be food on the table of a young man who must work to help feed his family. Game On! In addition to intellectual and psychological development, impoverished youth require physical skills and training in order to improve their opportunities for success. That’s why we helped implement Game On! Youth Sports™ – in partnership with the International Alliance for Youth Sports (IAYS) – and Into Employment. The two programs equip youth with physical, social and job skills to help them confront their challenges and better compete for limited job openings or academic admissions. Among the youth who participate in six or more program activities, 71 percent believe they have more ability to reach their goals than youth who are not supported by Children International. Getting into the Game “Game On! is about more than sports. It’s about teaching skills and values that can help give children and young people the edge they need to get ahead in life,” says Dan Phelan, the campaign chairman who helped launch the community sports program. Game On! provides a tried-and-true method of motivating young people, including those who typically shun educational programs and may be drawn to drug abuse, gang influence, early marriage and pregnancy. Organized sports leagues and activities teach youth the value of teamwork, conflict resolution, respect for authority, performance under pressure and other qualities that promote personal and social responsibility. Participatory athletics help strengthen communities, as well, by building social networks and unifying members of the community to strive toward common goals. Parents, teachers and youth volunteers alike receive specialized training and become reliable role models in neighborhoods where positive influences are sometimes few and far between. Our goal is to expand the program to include over 7,500 youth in nine countries by 2015. Page 14 www.children.org
  • 15. Like a True Pro A hot, dusty barrio outside Guadalajara, While visiting our agency in Mexico, Hannah Mexico, is the last place you might expect to also had the chance to try out her soccer find a U.S. snowboarding champion, but that’s skills during a Game On! event and then give precisely where two-time Olympic medalist participants a pep talk about training hard to Hannah Teter went this past year to check out achieve success. Alongside Hannah, pitching our programs. in some extra advice, were her good friends and fellow Children International supporters, Hannah is the perfect example of how snowboarding teammate Gabi Viteri and athletics can help mold a young person into a Nike-endorsed surfer Monyca Byrne-Wickey. dedicated, driven and conscientious individual who gives back to society. Besides sponsoring We’re honored to have Hannah, Gabi and children since 2007, she donates a percentage Monyca as role models for our youth. All three of the proceeds from her clothing line to are proof that, with the right support, any child help feed malnourished children through our can rise to the top. nutrition program. www.children.org www.children.org Page 15 15 Page
  • 16. Employment Opened Doors, Into Employment “No poor child dreams of growing up to highly demanded in their communities. They become a street vendor, a field hand or a develop skills in areas such as information maid,” Gordon Bailey, the chairman of our technology, hospitality services, welding and Into Employment program, points out. “They automotive repair. Youth also learn soft skills don’t work hard to get good grades in school – like interpersonal and written communication, and their families don’t make enormous computer literacy, customer service, time sacrifices to keep them there – just so they end management and financial literacy to fully up washing clothes for pennies a day.” prepare them for the workplace. Gordon’s sentiments echo a growing concern “Pointed in the right direction and given a in the developing world: young people, even few important tools, smart, capable youth can those who are educated, lack the specialized ignite their potential and make something of skills to obtain jobs in the modern global themselves,” Gordon concludes. economy. As a result, it’s estimated that 81 million youth who are seeking work remain Increased financial support for Into unemployed. Employment would enable us to train at least 10,500 youth of legal working age by 2015. We started offering Into Employment, in That could lead to thousands of open doors to conjunction with a group called Aide et gainful employment for disadvantaged youth… Action International, to give impoverished and many more opportunities to shut the door youth employable skills for trades that are on poverty for future generations. 72% of the graduating youth we surveyed said they are interested in jobs which require further training or education. 99% said they know what they have to do to get the job they want. Page 16 www.children.org
  • 17. The Odds of Employment In countries like the Philippines, which is home to almost 20 million adolescents between the 95% have one or more job ages of 10 and 19, higher education is often skills upon graduation unobtainable. Admission to universities is very competitive, as well, forcing even the brightest, most studious youth to seek out jobs before they possess adequate skills and training. Youth who do find jobs are likely to become 78% rated our job skills underemployed and therefore unable to training as good or improve their circumstances. Or they simply excellent remain unemployed. The International Labour Organization reports that youth are three times more likely be unemployed than adults. 89% By contrast, youth who participate in Into believe they have an Employment and our other enrichment increased likelihood of a better future programs gain skills they can immediately put to their advantage. “The First Step Toward My Dreams” “Hi, I’m Patrick sure that I manage my time wisely. Studying Borbe, a youth comes first, then helping out at home. from San Miguel Island in the I chose a course in consumer electronics Philippines. I because I want to learn how to repair come from a poor household appliances and other electronic family, and my gadgets. I find it very interesting, and it is a parents cannot step toward realizing my dream of having a afford to send me repair shop someday. From our trainings, I to school. That have learned how to make a power supply is why Children and radio, repair cellular phones and more. International’s Into Employment What I like about this training is that they program is a big also assist us in finding a job. Getting a blessing for me. job is important to me because, through it, I can help my parents. That is one of my Every day I wake up at 3:00 or 4:00 in the goals in life. Once I have a job, I could also morning so that I will make it in time for send myself to school so that I can earn a training on the mainland. I choose not to stay bachelor’s degree. at a boarding house so I can still help out when I come home at night. As one of the Into Employment is the first step toward my older children, I help with household chores dreams. That’s why I am so thankful that I’m and also mat weaving. To do this, I make part of it.” www.children.org Page 17
  • 18. Partnerships that Foster Potential Several of the targeted programs we offer Employment program in Honduras for another to youth are the result of generous support 14 months. The program was originally from private foundations, charitable trusts launched with contributions from the Kellogg and corporations. When we partner with Foundation and the Monsanto Fund. organizations that share our humanitarian outlook and endeavors, we have a greater “We value that teens are benefiting from this ability to deliver a wide array of programs, program and want to improve their lives and benefits and services that alleviate poverty and their communities,” said Jonathan Hartley, empower youth and their communities in very President of HSBC Honduras. “By continuing direct, lasting ways. to fund this program, we know more teens will benefit and more communities will be Partners like Microsoft, Citi Foundation, the improved.” Monsanto Fund, the Kellogg Foundation, the West Foundation, and Barclays Bank have For youth in Honduras – the second funded programs to equip youth with job poorest country in Latin America, with an skills, financial literacy and much more. unemployment rate of nearly 60 percent for youth ages 15 to 24 – the continuation of the At the end of 2010, HSBC Global Financial program means they’ll have the skills they Services awarded a grant to fund the Into need to compete in an uncertain economy. Children International and the United Nations: A Joint Mission Over the years, several of our youth have been Children International has Special Consultative recognized by the United Nations for both Status with the Economic and Social Council their outstanding personal achievements and of the United Nations and is associated with commitment to improving their communities. the UN’s Department of Public Information. In particular, they were invited to attend international conferences, where they were Most importantly, though, our programs asked to contribute their input on pressing directly support and further the UN’s goals issues that affect youth around the world. That to end extreme poverty by 2015, goals that special recognition has even helped them win include: ensuring all boys and girls complete a additional scholarships, fellowships and job full course of primary education, and working prospects. to promote full and productive employment and decent work for all, including women and Our history of supporting youth in developing young people. countries has earned us recognition as well. Page 18 www.children.org
  • 20. Summing up Our Graduate Survey After analyzing the results, it’s clear that active participation among youth leads to positive outcomes. The survey suggests that youth who frequently take part in our programs are using opportunities to their advantage, while those who don’t participate are less sure of themselves and their abilities. ACTIVE YOUTH PARTICIPANTS ARE Participants MORE LIKELY TO SUCEED Non-participants 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 Believe they Have completed Better able to Express greater have more secondary school solve problems confidence in ability to reach or are currently their ability to their goals in school support themselves financially Even among the youth who participated in only one or two activities in the last year, 60 percent believe they have more ability to reach their goals than youth who are not supported by Children International. The survey also reflects positive increases over 2009 outcomes in several categories which are critical to long-term development and self-sufficiency: • 69 percent of active participants believed they had a greater ability to stay healthy in 2010 versus 60 percent the year before. • 91 percent were enrolled in or completed school in 2010 over 76 percent the year before. • 60 percent in 2010 versus 47.5 percent in 2009 professed a better ability to support themselves financially in the future. Gains like that reveal the power of participation and, in the developing world, they represent progress over poverty. Page 20 www.children.org
  • 21. Final Outcomes and Future Opportunities Opportunities Participation in the Children International • Enhance community partnerships to better Youth Program not only helps youth better fund and facilitate Youth Empowerment understand themselves, it helps them realize Fund proposals what they must do to break free from poverty and achieve their goals in life. • Extend the Into Employment program into every country where Children International In the 2010 Youth Report Card, we set a works and establish a system of monitoring goal of increasing the percentage of youth their progress. who participate in our Youth Program from what was then 15 percent to 85 If we want youth to become self-sufficient, percent by 2015. Over the course of last contributing members of society, we must year alone, we observed a substantial first help them acquire the specialized skills increase in participation, thanks mostly to they need to get the jobs demanded in their growing support for our Game On! and Into communities. To do so requires a long-term Employment programs. investment in their potential, and by extension, overall global progress in our increasingly Like any major enterprise, there is always interconnected world. room for improvement, and we intend to ramp up participation and the ensuing positive Children International has the infrastructure outcomes by pursuing the following goals in and network of support in place to affect the years ahead: positive changes in the world’s most vulnerable youth. Our latest Graduate Survey • Create more mentorship opportunities suggests as much. But it will require increased between graduating youth and new funding to grow programs like our HOPE members of the Youth Program to Scholarship Fund, Into Employment and Youth encourage involvement Leadership Training and empower youth with the knowledge and abilities required to • Invest more resources in our Youth Councils succeed in today’s turbulent global economy. to expand their outreach and foster greater participation across communities www.children.org Page 21
  • 22. Ending on a Positive Note “This is Debashis Acharye. A little here about my past…an only child in the family, my grandparents, an aunt and I were totally In HIs Words dependent on my parents’ meager resources, which they pooled together by working as a daily worker (that’s my father) and a maid (my mother). Quite expected, our six-member family saw a lot of economic hardships and deficiencies in our everyday lives. Despite their poverty, however, my parents held on to their one and only dream of raising me well so that I would manage to move on to greener pastures in life. To fulfill this dream, my parents would have to make a lot of sacrifices, which they did. For obvious reasons, their little savings would always fall short of what was needed to raise me; yet, they continued working hard and zealously and spent every rupee they could to ensure my for me. My family believed strongly that my smooth future. participation had actually flung open the door to my success in life and urged me to make the Grinding poverty and daily hardships were best use of this opportunity. taking a toll on my family and me, and when things seemed really bleak, there was a sudden The program extended the HOPE scholarship turn around in my life. I became a part of to me for continuing my education, and in Children International, and my family breathed 2010, I completed my university education. I a sigh of relief. For my parents, it meant that received a job interview for retail sales, and all their sacrifices would not go in vain. All this facing tough competition, I actually bagged happened a decade ago. I was only 9 years the job. old then. I am in my second year now as an employed Through the years, the program not only bore person and am a self-sufficient and the major expenses toward my education economically independent person, just as my but also ensured that I could avail of health parents had hoped. I am now studying for an checkups and related medical treatments the MBA degree to further my career. year round. Besides, there were other clothing and family benefits. I shall always remain grateful to Children International for extending all kinds of The leadership trainings and other valuable support – educational, medical, economic learning experiences I picked up while in the and moral – that instilled courage, Youth Program also went hand in hand in determination and self-confidence in me opening a new horizon full of opportunities and helped me achieve self-sufficiency.” Page 22 www.children.org
  • 23. We’d like to acknowledge the following individuals for providing photos for the 2011 Youth Report Card: Kari Row, independent photographer Joel Abelinde of our Manila, Philippines, agency Patricia Calderón of our Barranquilla, Colombia, agency Javier Cárcamo of our Guatemala City, Guatemala, agency Pedro Díaz of our Quito, Ecuador, agency Nivedita Moitra of our Kolkata, India, agency Susannah Myers of our Little Rock, Arkansas, agency Sarah Jane Velasco of our Tabaco, Philippines, agency www.children.org Page 23
  • 24. 2000 E. Red Bridge Road Kansas City, MO 64131 © 2011 Children International www.children.org Children International® is a service mark of Children International.